Alleged breaches of mandatory bird flu biosecurity regulations on Guy Ritchie’s Pheasant & Partridge shoot in Wiltshire An investigation has been launched into alleged breaches of mandatory bird flu biosecurity regulations at Guy Ritchie’s Pheasant and Partridge shoot at Ashcombe Estate in Wiltshire, according…

Alleged breaches of mandatory Bird Flu biosecurity regulations on Guy Ritchie's Pheasant & Partridge shoot in Wiltshire.

New blog ⬇️

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/03/09/a...

One of the gulls on the church roof today was 251J making its first appearance for 19 months!

#GullOfTheDay #GullsOfOtley #Chroicocephalus #ridibundus
#NWBHGs

Petition: Stop the Guga Hunt Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to remove the power to grant licences for taking Gannets on Sula Sgeir.

We need just 33 signatures to reach 100,000! A huge milestone!

petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

The Scottish Government petition to end the Guga hunt — a so-called “tradition” in which men bludgeon gannet chicks to death on a remote Scottish island — has now surpassed 100,000 signatures.

Thank you to Rachel Bigsby for setting it up!

Mandarin Ducks looking very smart at #Linacrereservoirs #Derbyshire today

Great views of this male Common Scoter at Linacre Reservoirs this morning

Black memorial-style graphic titled “In Memoriam.” A list of racehorses and their dates of death appears in white text: Russian Virtue (04/03/26), Dont Call Me Sue (26/02/26), Loaded And Locked (21/02/26), Precious Man (21/02/26), Ourbrowneyedgirl (20/02/26), Vice President (12/02/26), Wholly Boley (03/02/26), Appleshaw (02/02/26), and Lario (23/01/26). Three lit candles appear on the left, and the close-up eye of a horse is visible on the right. At the bottom the text reads: “YOU BET, THEY DIE.” followed by “www.herbivore.club.”⁠

Russian Virtue has joined the recent victims of British horse racing. They were killed following an injury at Catterick on the 4th of March 💔

#YouBetTheyDie 🏇

Black-headed Gull 237H looking smart in Otley today getting ready for its migration back home to Norway 🇳🇴

#Chroicocephalus #ridibundus
#NWBHGs #GullOfTheDay #GullsOfOtley

Can someone tell Shooting Times that snaring was banned in Wales in 2023 Oh dear. In this week’s edition of Shooting Times, ‘the official weekly journal of BASC’, there’s a three-page article all about trapping, apparently ‘balancing tradit…

Can someone tell Shooting Times that snaring was banned in Wales in 2023.

Another embarrassing blunder...

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/03/05/c...

I'll always have a soft spot for Mediterranean Gulls. As a yoof, in the 1980s, I used to sift through the gull roost at Chasewater dreaming of finding one. Not so rare nowadays, but still very special ! This beauty was feeding in the surf at Low Newton today.

#NEbirding #Lowcarbonbirding

Ringed Bewick's Swan seen in UK for first time in 20 years A ringed Bewick's Swan has been recorded in the UK for the first time in 20 years. The bird, known to researchers as Galina, was first ringed two decades ago on its Russian breeding grounds as part of the Europe-wide monitoring effort co-ordinated by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and partner organisations. 

A ringed Bewick's Swan has been recorded in the UK for the first time in 20 years:

Landing on your doorsteps - The British Birds journal’s March 2026 issue

Highlights:
• Eurasian Curlew conservation
• North American landbirds on boats
• Britain’s first ever Canada Warbler

britishbirds.co.uk/journal/volu...

Major win for Great Britain: lead ammunition will be banned in outdoor shooting! This historic ban on lead ammunition in Great Britain sets a powerful precedent for other nations to follow.

Ban on sale and use of most lead ammunition in Wales, Scotland and England confirmed to be in place from 1 April 2029. Good.

www.birdlife.org/news/2025/08...

Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) at gamebird rearing farm in North Yorkshire An outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) was confirmed yesterday at a large gamebird rearing farm in North Yorkshire. A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone have been…

Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) at large gamebird rearing farm in North Yorkshire ☠️

New blog ⬇️

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/03/04/o...

Our team have spotted frogspawn on the moors this week - a sign that spring is on the way 🐸

#WildlifeWednesday #Peatlands #Wildlife #Frogs #Biodiversity

This Med Gull at Holbeck Scarborough on the 22/02/26 had been ringed 17/05/2024 gedempt deel Doeldok; Beveren; Oost-Vlaanderen; Flanders; Belgium @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

NatureScot reinstates use of General Licences on Raeshaw Estate during appeal process On 10 February 2026, NatureScot imposed a three-year General Licence restriction on Raeshaw Estate in the Scottish Borders (and on neighbouring Watherston Wood, which is understood to be under sepa…

NatureScot reinstates use of General Licences on Raeshaw Estate during appeal process.

New blog ⬇️

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/03/03/n...

RPUK blog reaches 16th birthday and passes 13 million views Today marks 16 years since this blog started and it has recently passed 13 million views. Thanks, as ever, to everyone who follows the blog and supports its aims. Particular thanks to the generous …

Raptor Persecution UK blog reaches 16th birthday and passes 13 million views.

Thanks to everyone who follows the blog & supports its aims 🙏

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/03/03/r...

A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull stood on a stone surrounded by grass, sporting a red ring on its right leg with the code PMEN.

Mediterranean Gull is my favourite gull, and I love nothing more than reading a colour ring. So this beauty in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, today was particularly enjoyed. It's from Poland. #BirdingWales

Superbugs Start on Farms The FDA released data showing a roughly 16% one year increase in sales of medically important antibiotics for use in farmed animals, from 2023 to 2024.

We are burning through last resort medicines to prop up industrial animal farming. That is not food security. It is public health sabotage.

It’s #WorldWildlifeDay. Peatlands are home to unique and fascinating wildlife!

Thriving #wildlife habitats is one of the many benefits of moorland restoration. Learn more about moorland habitats on our website: www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/our-purpose/...

📷 Moors for the Future/Sam Willis

A visit to Roundhay Park this afternoon, for a swan reported to be carrying a barbed lure on one leg. Our volunteer rescuer was able to quickly secure the swan, and carefully remove the fishing tackle before the bird was returned without lasting injury back to the water.

As the breeding season begins, a reminder to think carefully before reporting rare breeding species on social media. They are vulnerable to disturbance & persecution.
if in doubt, keep it quiet & contact local/county recorders.
yorkbirding.org.uk/reporting-ra...

Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell found guilty of murdering ex-colleague from Edradynate Estate, Perthshire BREAKING NEWS….. After a 13-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow, David Campbell, 77, the former Head Gamekeeper on Edradynate Estate in Perthshire, has been found guilty of murdering his f…

Retired gamekeeper David Campbell guilty of murdering ex-colleague Brian Low, with whom he worked on the Edradynate Estate. This estate was one of the worst for raptor persecution.

Lots to say about this one... glad they finally got him ⚖️

#RaptorResearch

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/25/s...

‘The New Birds of the Sheffield Area:’
pre-orders have been handed over to Royal Mail today and are on their way to buyers

Not purchased yet? Order your copy at sbsg.org
£32 + postage for non-members
£25 + postage for members

(Membership is £15 individuals/£17 Households)

Norwegian Black-headed Gull J90Y is still wintering at Redcar Tarn, Keighley.

#GullOfTheDay #GullsOfKeighley #J90Y
#Chroicocephalus #ridibundus

A deceased Puffin lies on its back on the ground. Wording above reads: Please report sightings of all dead birds. A graphic showing an exclamation mark in a triangle features.

⚠️ We've had reports of seabirds washing up. Please report ALL species of dead birds ⬇️

📍 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📍 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📍 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

Help Stop the Criminal Killing of Birds of Prey Despite more than 70 years of full legal protection, raptor persecution remains a serious and persistent wildlife crime. The Yorkshire Dales is one of the UK’s worst-affected areas, with 152 confirmed...

I just signed a @theactionnetwork.bsky.social petition: Help Stop the Criminal Killing of Birds of Prey. Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/he...

Three reforms to stop the criminal killing of birds of prey – new petition to UK Minister from Friends of the Dales A new petition has been launched calling on the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mary Creagh MP) to bring in legal reform to help stop the illegal persecution of birds of prey. The petiti…

Three legal reforms to stop the criminal killing of birds of prey - new petition to UK Minister from @friendsofthedales.bsky.social

Details & link to petition in blog 🔽

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/19/t...

Philip Saunders, huntsman for the Pipewell Beagles, admitted breaking Section 1 of the Hunting Act after encouraging hounds to kill a hare. He was sentenced to £5000 in fines and costs.